Rising numbers likely to extend flu season
By Harry Loomis
Current trends in Buchanan County suggest this flu season is going to stretch out longer than usual.
Buchanan County already has recorded 629 positive flu cases in the first half of March. This includes both strains, one affecting the stomach and another affecting the respiratory system.
The numbers are an increase from 2023, despite the St. Joseph Health Department only distributing 10 fewer flu shots than last year.
One hypothesis is that the nice weather in February led to people spending more time in close quarters.
“We all know that the illness is spread when people are together,” said Holly Hazzard, St. Joseph Health Department clinic supervisor. “Whether you are in close quarters at a park or in close quarters and somebody is home, the close quarters is what is going to determine that risk of illness. People like to enjoy the nice weather at whatever cost. So even if they are coughing a little bit, they might think, ‘Well, it’s OK for me to go because of X, Y, Z.’”
Hazzard said the effects of another virus also might be having an impact on flu numbers.
“It’s also not completely too far to guess that we’re seeing higher numbers this year because it’s post-COVID,” she said. “During COVID, we all kind of stayed home. We all quarantined our immune systems, took that shock from not being exposed to everybody and from only being exposed to COVID. So now that we are back out, we are not wearing masks, we are going to public places, things are we open, our bodies are having a hard time fighting off things.”
The health department will continue to offer flu shots through June 30. Officials also encourage people to wash their hands and cover coughs and sneezes to cut down on the spread of illness.
“Unless in the next couple of weeks we see a dramatic drop-off, I expect (we) will probably see it longer this season,” Hazzard said. “For those that either have contracted it, haven’t contracted it or are vaccinated, aren’t vaccinated, I find these numbers to be pretty concerning.”
